


Hiding in Plain Sight

by lovelyavengers (fandomsandxfiles)



Series: From The SSR Case Files [5]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, Case Fic, F/M, Mild Peril, Undercover, confession of love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:30:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25370143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomsandxfiles/pseuds/lovelyavengers
Summary: On an undercover assignment, you get embroiled in something bigger, something that leads to a gunfight in an abandoned warehouse and you getting on the wrong side of a bullet.
Relationships: Jack Thompson (Marvel)/Reader
Series: From The SSR Case Files [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1809622
Kudos: 19





	Hiding in Plain Sight

**Author's Note:**

> This was an anonymous request I received on tumblr. It can also be found on my tumblr writing blog [@fandomsandxfiles-writes](https://fandomsandxfiles-writes.tumblr.com/).

"Agent L/N, may I speak with you in my office?" Your head snapped up when the chief walked by your desk one morning. You nodded in confusion, not sure why he would need to talk to you. You turned to look at Peggy and Daniel, who were sitting at their desks, receiving shrugs from both of them. Jack Thompson had been chief of the SSR for a few months since Chief Dooley passed away, and he ran a tight ship. You didn't think you had pissed him off in any way, but you never knew with him.

The only thing you could possibly think that he could be annoyed about wasn't even your fault. There had always been jokes and rumors around the office about the two of you, and while you did your best to shut them down, barely any of the other agents listened to you. The same thing was happening to Peggy and Daniel, but at least you could see why the other agents thought there was something between them. You didn't understand why everyone had fixated on you and the chief, and you were pretty damn sure that the chief's feelings towards you were indifferent at best before all of it, but now those feelings probably bordered hatred.

You stepped into his office and closed the door. "What did you want to speak with me about?"

"We caught a case, and I need you to go undercover," he said, handing you a file. "We have reason to believe that the new corporate building that's gone up may be a front for a Russian covert operations group, and we need to get to the bottom of it." So it wasn't about office gossip. Your body immediately relaxed and you breathed a small sigh of relief, hoping he didn't notice your change in demeanor.

"Covert Russian Operations? Do you think it could be Leviathan again?" you asked as you flipped through the pages in the file.

"It wouldn't be the smartest move on their part to resurface again so soon, but you never know," Jack said. "We've gotten you a job as the receptionist in the main lobby, I was able to pull a few strings and bypass the interview. What I need you to do is blend in, take note of any suspicious activity you may see, and maybe keep your ear to the ground for any office rumors that could give us a clue to what we're dealing with here."

You nodded in response. "When do I start?"

"Next Monday," Jack said. "You have tomorrow and the weekend to polish your cover story. The SSR has provided you a false identity, complete with all the documents you're going to need, along with a new address and a general family history."

You took a look at the last page of the file, and read it through quickly. It looked easy enough to remember. "Is the address real?" you asked. You recognized the street name but you didn't know if the building was made up or not.

Jack nodded. "Yeah it's an SSR safe location that was taken off the list last year. It was sold to a dummy buyer, but in reality we still have ownership. It's highly suggested that you move in there for the time being, or at least have enough belongings in the apartment to make it look like you live there, should you ever need to entertain."

***

Assuming a completely new identity wasn't that difficult, but it definitely was something you had to adjust to. You had moved into the SSR decommissioned safe house, which made it a little easier for you to separate yourself from the person you were becoming for the assignment. Also, it was a nice place, and you weren't going to pass up an opportunity to get away from your small apartment.

You were nervous when you walked into the office building on your first day undercover. You were skittish and jumpy, which you hoped wasn't too suspicious in nature and everyone just attributed it to the stress of starting a new job, not the fact that you were these to sniff out suspicious activity in this swanky new building.

After a few days, the excitement began to wear down, and the boredom began to set in. You had definitely taken your job for granted sometimes, because even though working at the SSR wasn't always perfect, you didn't think you could conceivably live a so-called normal life. Your mother had always wanted you to be normal, marry a nice man, and spend most of your life as a housewife and a mother, but that was never what you wanted. You didn't think you would even be happy in a "normal" job like teacher or receptionist, because you had barely been undercover a week and you already wanted to go back.

Sure, sometimes you got to switch back to being Y/N L/N, agent of the SSR, but that was rare. Most of your day was sat at the front desk in the lobby, answering stupid questions and smiling falsely at men who hit on you, when in reality you could probably knock them out in minutes. One man in particular couldn't seem to get the hint to leave you alone, and it was driving you nuts. Every morning he'd lean obnoxiously over the lobby desk, blocking everyone else from signing in, and make stupid comments at you. You would knock him out without a second thought if it didn't blow your cover, so you bit your lip and plotted his demise in silence.

You were cut off from the SSR, so receiving intel and information could be difficult. The most effective way that you were sent information was that an agent was sent into the building as a visitor, and when they signed in with you, they either slipped you a piece of paper or quickly whispered what they needed you to know. But the issue was that the same agents couldn't come in all the time, or people would start getting suspicious. You were still shocked when Jack walked through the glass doors one day though, fedora pulled over his face as a means of disguise. He walked right up to the desk where you sat, and gave you a look. "Look I can't be here long, especially if these people turn out to be Leviathan, they could recognize me. But Carter and Sousa are even more recognizable, so here I am."

You nodded and you looked down at your desk, pretending to sign him in. "What is it?"

"We intercepted a code that points to mafia activity in the area, but we're not not sure if it connects to what we already thought was here, or if we were wrong about what we originally thought was going on here. Either way, you need to be on the lookout," he said quietly.

You were about to respond when one of the more annoying businessmen who worked in the building walked into the lobby, presumably to go to lunch with his mistress (a secret that _everyone_ in the office knew about by the way) and caught sight of you and Jack. "Who are you?" He said strongly, glaring at Jack. "And what are you doing here?"

"I can't visit my girlfriend at work?" Jack asked, glaring right back at the man. He shot you the quickest look that said 'play along!' which you weren't about to not follow.

"Yeah, he was going to take me to lunch today," you giggled out, taking on the persona you've had to play way too often since you went undercover.

The businessman sighed, but he couldn't say anything. You were entitled to a lunch break like any other employee, and if you chose to go out one day, he couldn't do anything about that. Especially because he was a serial adulterer and if the SSR was right, possibly a criminal. Once he left and the lobby was quiet, you looked at Jack. "Quick thinking," you said with a laugh.

"Of course," he said. "I wasn't exactly going to admit the real reason I was here. Although you do have to leave the building for lunch today, or it would seem suspicious."

"I didn't think about that," you said. "I suppose I could go to the coffee shop on the next block and get something."

"How about you come out to lunch with me?" Jack asked out of the blue. "Just in case someone follows you," he whispered the last part.

"Yeah, you're probably right about that." If anyone was suspicious of your presence, seeing you out to lunch with your supposed boyfriend (like you said you would be) would definitely help to maintain your image.

"Where do you want to go then, my lady?"

***

"You actually went out to lunch with him?" Peggy was dumbfounded when you told her what had happened a few days prior. You were sitting in the L&L Automat with her for coffee after work. A few people turned around and looked at the two of you because of her outburst.

"Peggy, I told you, we had already lied to someone that came through and asked what Jack was doing in the lobby, and if he just left after that or we were followed and it turned out we _didn't_ go out to lunch, then it would have been a much bigger problem." Peggy gave you a look and raised one of her eyebrows. "Oh don't you give me that look."

"I'm not giving you any look Y/N."

You rolled your eyes. "Yes you are! It's the same look half the office gets whenever Jack and I interact, because someone has decided that he likes me, a theory that is unfounded by the way."

"Y/N I will agree that the jokes in the office are often juvenile and ill-timed, but I do see their validity. And I'm starting to think that you might not be as aloof as you come across."

"Peggy, the man hates me because of those rumors, which is evidence enough that he doesn't feel the way you seem to think he does."

Peggy gave you a knowing look. "I'm not so sure. Jack is the type of person to suppress his emotions, and he often doesn't feel good enough for the position he's found himself in," she said. "The tough guy front he puts up is just that, a front."

"Whatever you say Peggy. I still don't believe you though."

"But I'm right, and you don't have to believe me. You'll find out eventually," she said with a cryptic smile.

***

The next month went smoothly, and you didn't have any more awkward run-ins or need to fake any more relationships. Life at the front desk of the building was still boring, but you were starting to understand why you were undercover there in the first place. You heard snippets of conversations as those who worked in the building walked through the lobby, and you were starting to piece things together.

So that's why you were currently staking out an abandoned warehouse well after work hours, because there was supposed to be a weapons exchange there. You really hoped you were right about this, mainly because it would be really embarrassing if you turned out to be wrong, but also because you missed the SSR and would love nothing more than to be able to return to your desk and back to your home. The SSR's decommissioned safe house was nice, but you were starting to miss your normal life, and your normal name.

You were sitting in a car with Jack, Peggy, and Daniel, waiting for the two parties to show up. "Let's get this show on the road," Jack said. "How much more time until the exchange?"

Peggy looked at her watch. "I'd say about 10 minutes, so we really need to be on the lookout. But some of us also need to be _patient_ ," she said, giving Jack a chastising look. You and Daniel laughed quietly from the backseat as Jack shook his head at Peggy's remark.

You were about to respond when something caught your eye through the window. "There," you said, pointing. "Someone just went into the warehouse."

"Hot damn," Jack said. "Sousa, radio in to the others, tell them we're a go for interception and then follow us in. Carter, L/N, you're with me. Let's go."

You, Jack, and Peggy slowly got out of the car and approached the building. There were no lights as you stepped inside, the building a seemingly endless maze of rooms. "You two go right, I'll go left," Peggy said, drawing her gun and disappearing before you could argue.

You and Jack exchanged looks and drew your own guns, walking slowly and checking each room you passed. Eventually, the hallway opened up into a larger room. "You go through, I'll be right behind you," Jack said. "There's one more room I have to clear."

The moment you stepped in, you saw a dark figure at the other end of the room, holding a briefcase and obviously waiting for his exchange partner to show up. You didn't know if he was the buyer or the seller, but you didn't need to. "SSR drop your weapon!" You said, turning to him with your gun raised.

It was like he was prepared for you, because he immediately took out his own weapon and fired. The bullet hit you in the shoulder, and god did it hurt. Before you registered what happened, the suspect had taken off through a door on the other side of the room.

Jack cane sprinting into the room once he heard the gunshot, and looked wildly around. "What happened?" You pressed your hand to your wounded shoulder and opened your mouth, but he beat you to it. "You've been shot."

You couldn't even sarcastically thank him for pointing out the obvious, because you heard footsteps coming closer, and they weren't Peggy's heels or Daniel's crutch. You hobbled over to hide behind a stack of crates, Jack right behind you. You would have felt stupid if it turned out you were hiding from one of your own men, but you quickly realized that wasn't the case. An overpowering smell of cheap cologne filled the room, and through a crack in the crates you could see a burly man slowly walking around the room, checking every corner.

Your shoulder hurt, like a lot. You tried not to shift too much, but there was no way you could deny the fact that you were in pain. A lot of it. Your eyes were welling you with tears and you whimpered quietly. The footsteps disappeared as the burly man went into another room, and Jack turned to you, no doubt to scold you for making a noise. But his face softened when he read the expression of pain so clearly written on your face. "When we're clear, I'll radio for an ambulance, okay?" He said softly. "Just hold on for a few more minutes Y/N."

The footsteps returned, and it took everything you had not to make a sound, and tears started to fall from your eyes. As the room got quiet again, you started to close your eyes, the pain was becoming too much. "No, don't do that," Jack said, leaning towards you and grasping your hand. "Keep your eyes on me, that's it. I know it hurts, but you have to stay awake, okay?"

You nodded, but he didn't let go of your hand. After a few more moments of silence, he got out his radio and spoke quietly into it. He kept his hold on your hand, and what felt like ages later, you heard footsteps, but this time you could tell they were Peggy's. "I have an ambulance outside," she said quickly.

Jack nodded once at her, let go of your hand, and took off in the direction that the other men had gone. You didn't know how long had passed since you had last seen then, but you hoped Jack would be okay. Peggy helped bring you back up to your feet and you stumbled outside to the ambulance, where they laid you down on a stretcher. As they began to work on your wounds, your eyes closed and you couldn't stop it.

***

When you opened your eyes again, you were laying in a hospital bed, and nurses and doctors flitted around you and spoke in words you couldn't quite understand. Once they noticed you were awake, time seemed to stand still. What simultaneously felt like seconds and hours later, the room was empty again, and you were staring at a blank wall.

That is, until the door blew open and Jack came busting in, hands bloody and just generally looking like a mess. "You're okay," he breathed as he walked towards you.

"Jack," you said, voice a little hoarse. "What happened?"

"We got them, both buyer and seller," he said. "They'll go to jail for a long while, thanks you to you. We got the guy who shot you too, he won't hurt anyone again."

Your mind was racing as you took in Jack's bloody hands and knuckles that were starting to bruise. "You didn't..." you trailed off.

"Kill him? No," Jack said. "I would've liked to though, for shooting you."

"But I know the risks of this job," you said, confused. "And I'll be okay."

"You may know the risks of the job, but that doesn't mean you deserve to be shot in the first place!" he said, in a tone that surprised you. "Because not only were you in pain from the shot, but I had to sit there and watch you, and it broke me inside because I couldn't do anything. And it's one of the worst feelings in the world to watch someone you love in pain, especially when I could have stopped it, if I had gone through the door first."

You were left speechless when you registered his words, his confession. "You love me?" You finally said, in the smallest voice you've ever used.

"I've loved you since the minute you walked into the SSR on your first day," he said. "And I'm sorry if I acted badly towards you because of the rumors, but I was mad at myself for letting people catch on so easily. Watching you whimper in pain behind that stack of crates broke me Y/N, and Sousa had to pull me off the guy who shot you once we got him, because the only thought in my mind was that I wanted him to know what I felt, the pain he caused you, and me. And I wanted to do this properly, you know, ask you out to a real dinner before dumping all of this on you, but I promised myself I would tell you the next time I saw you, tell you that I am head over heels in love with you. And it didn't matter if you felt the same way, but I needed you to know."

You couldn't even offer a response because Peggy car busting through the door seconds later. She took one look at Jack's state, and your shocked face, and gave Jack a stern look. "You're being kicked out of this room until you wash the blood off yourself," she said. "There's no room for debate, it's unsanitary and disgusting and I will not hesitate to drag you out myself."

Jack knew enough not to cross Peggy, so he allowed her to lead him to a place where he could wash himself up, leaving you alone once again, this time with the weight of Jack's confession.

When he finally returned to the room, Peggy wasn't with him. "Jack Thompson, you didn't let me answer you," you said, a small smile on your face. "I love you too."

A huge smile broke across his face. "Are you serious?"

"As a bullet wound." His face dropped and he gave you a shocked look. "Sorry, maybe I can't use that expression for a little bit. But yes Jack, I am serious."

"I've waited so long to kiss you, please don't make me wait any longer."

"Then why don't you come over here and kiss me then?"

"Honey, you don't have to tell me twice."

_\- the end -_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Want to request your own Jack Thompson/Reader one shot?
> 
> You can find the link to the information post [here!](https://fandomsandxfiles-writes.tumblr.com/post/619198264196120576/fic-requests-as-of-right-now-im-taking-fic)


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